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by Starley (eliasdarcychere)



Category: Dissidia: Final Fantasy
Genre: M/M, POV Third Person Limited, free-write
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:22:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23642275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eliasdarcychere/pseuds/Starley
Summary: “Nothing serious, just learning about you, want to know more about you.” He stretches, then fiddles around with the grass. “We’re stuck together for the meantime, so why not. "orBartz wants to learn about Cloud some.
Relationships: Bartz Klauser/Cloud Strife
Comments: 10
Kudos: 17





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**Author's Note:**

> This simply came to be from a bunch of plot bunnies I've written after watching the Dissidia Final Fantasy NT cut scenes on YouTube. I really love Bartz and Cloud as a pairing; they are so cute in the game. And I wish to write a story to add to the tag. So, here it is.  
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy this work. I'm not too confident in writing anything relating to romance and love; I'm an amateur at best. I'm truly sorry if there are any spelling or grammar mistake. Please forgive me if any of the characters seems to be out of character.  
> All the characters used in this story belong to Square Enix.

Bartz has always been a wandering spirit; he goes wherever the wind takes him, never staying in the same place. It has been this way for as long as he can remember, since he was a little boy, listening to his father’s tales of the countless journeys he had been on. And it only seems to manifest into something greater when his dear father passed away, leaving him with a promise to travel the world. A simple carefree life his wandering spirit has given him, going wherever the wind blows, and Bartz certainly can’t complain about that, he wouldn’t have it any other way.

Yet, in this strange world, his way of life is threatened and challenged. Bartz is summoned along with others to fight in a never-ending battle against their wills. It doesn’t sit right with him; he feels confined and constricted, for his life is put on pause for a battle that isn’t his. Still and reluctantly so, he fights in the battle, making friends on the way, for the sole promise of returning to his world. His memories are fuzzy through it all, yet the wind still guides him like it always did.

***

Bartz doesn’t think too much of that world once he returns to his homeworld. He has written it off as a fantastical dream spurred on him after taking one too many drinks at a tavern in some village. And he continues with his life, traveling around the world with his beloved pet, Boko, and the wind as his guide.

***

When Bartz is summoned again, it’s different. For one, he thought it was Exdeath’s doing, taking him into the interdimensional rift as a ploy in his evil schemes. Then, he is saved by Cloud; he sees him, remembers his name, and everything starts to make sense again.

***

He is traveling with Cloud now, walking through many portals to get to Materia, the goddess that summoned them back to this strange world. He missed a lot of information – he learns from Cloud - but Cloud catches him up to speed. The gist of it is still the same, fighting for a cause that isn’t his, and it doesn’t sit right with him. He is sure as hell it doesn’t sit right with Cloud. He doesn’t ask him though, figuring he might as well learn a thing or two about his new traveling companion, he asks him.

“What is your favorite color?”

Cloud stops walking, tilts his head, confused and then, shrugs his shoulder. “I like…the color yellow.”

Arms behind his head, Bartz grins. “I thought for certain you were going to say black.” He chuckles and adds in. “Why?”

Cloud pauses, takes a moment to form a response. Once he collects his thoughts, he responses. “The black clothing is just for protection, easy to clean. Yellow…” Cloud trails off, his eyes drifting off as though lost in a memory. A little worried about his new traveling companion, Bartz opens his mouth to speak only for him to get cut off by Cloud when he says. “It shows me good memories, reminds me of home.” At that, Cloud gives him a soft smile and continues walking.

Bartz lets out a breath that he didn’t realize he was holding. Out of all the times, he has been in this strange world, fighting alongside Cloud and the others, never had he seen Cloud smile. He remembers Cloud as an aloof warrior, keeping to himself, eyes wavering as if he was searching for something. To see Cloud smile has been a pleasant surprise to Bartz. A smile looks nice on Cloud, he thinks. And Bartz likes his smile and he wants to see more of it.

***

It starts out slow. They are still walking through the portals, trying to get Materia, seeing many places that are foreign to them as they do. Bartz keeps asking Cloud questions, and Cloud answers him in his usual fashion, slow and thoughtful. He is surprised when Cloud starts engaging in his question game.

“So…what’s with all the questions?” He asks, settling down on the grass.

Bartz lies on the grass, facing him, and says. “Nothing serious, just learning about you, want to know more about you.” He stretches, then fiddles around with the grass. “We’re stuck together for the meantime, so why not. I’m glad you’re playing along, feel free to ask away.”

“I see,” Cloud says as he mimics Bartz and lies down on the grass, and then faces him. “Well, I guess, you’re right. I’ll play along…so, what’s your home like?”

He is taken aback. He doesn’t expect to be asked a question, then again, it’s Cloud who’s asking. A heavy hitter asking a heavy-hitting question. So, he humors him. “You sure know how to lay one on a guy, don’t you?”

“I’m just playing along. So…”

“Yeah.” Bartz muses, he stops fiddling with the grass, and answers. “I don’t have a home.”

Cloud doesn’t response. There’s more to the story than his travel companion is letting on. So, he waits, giving Bartz time to answer.

“I don’t have a home per se, but the world is.” He hums. Home has become so foreign to him now. A strange concept that he abandoned years ago as he adopted the carefree life of a wanderer. He goes wherever the wind blows, traveling to villages after villages, learning what he can before the wind takes him somewhere. Bartz tells Cloud this and Cloud listens.

“Doesn’t it get lonely?” Cloud asks, voice wavering as if he is reflecting on something.

He shakes his head. “No, not really.” Bartz is honest when he says the first year traveling on his own was tough and lonely. Then again, grief does that to a person. As time goes on, it doesn’t hurt so much, the pain lessens as the sense of wanderlust grows. There’s no need for a home; the world is his to explore. He is not alone; he has Boko and the wind as his guiding force. He is not lonely for he met and helped so many people on his many journeys. It’s a simple carefree traveling life he lives, and a place to settle down and call home never fit in the picture. Not in the slightest, the world is so vast and large, and the wind still calls him. Bartz has no complaints about it.

“It’s a life that’s meant for me,” Bartz adds in after a while. He looks up only to be greeted by Cloud staring at him. Suddenly, Bartz feels warm and flustered inside. He never knew eyes can be so blue, never knew it can be so beautiful. He turns quickly to look up at the sky, hoping that Cloud doesn’t notice.

He guesses he doesn’t when Cloud says. “You know… you remind me of…” Bartz turns to face him, trying to keep calm, keep his nerves under control. _“Who”_ , Bartz wants to say, instead he holds his breath and stays patient. “My important person.” Then, the smile Bartz likes so much is back, and it is warm, kind, and gentle. And oh! Bartz is stuck, he is crashing; he doesn’t know what to say or do, he is overwhelmed. Luckily for him -thank the stars- Cloud closes his eyes and drifts off to sleep. Bartz relaxes as much as he can, the nerves make his limbs feel like jelly, and he watches him for a little while before falling asleep himself. His last thoughts are about Cloud; Cloud is kind, Cloud is beautiful and Bartz reminds him of his important person.

***

He learns of Cloud’s important person soon after, a cherished friend of his, Zack. They met during a mission, bonded over the fact that they were both “backwater town” boys. Zack is a constant source of light in Cloud’s life; he inspires him, he encourages him, he is saved by him.

“He was my best friend,” Cloud says. “I promise to live for both of us.”

“Seems like he was an amazing guy.”

“Yes, he was…” His voice is soft -softer than it has ever been- when he says that. “You’re a lot like him.”

“How so?” Bartz must know, got to know.

“Your personality is bright like him, able to make friends easily like him. It’s kind of contagious…” He chuckles a bit. “But I like being around it, you know. It’s nice. And…” He pauses and hums, thinking about how to place the last of his thought process in words. Bartz is anxious and curious through it all. “You are so strong and inspirational…just like him.”

“Wow.” He doesn’t expect that all. But, it’s Cloud. With Cloud -he learns- there’s never enough time to prepare. He rubs his arms, embarrassed and warm. “You really think that?”

Before Cloud can respond, a portal opens, and they quickly get up and walks towards it.

“You’re quite inspirational in more ways than you think,” Cloud says, and before he steps inside the portal, he turns towards him. “And, Bartz?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you.” Cloud smiles at him before turning around rather quickly to enter the portal, leaving Bartz alone.

And Bartz is finding it hard to keep his nerves under control, but he still finds the strength to walk inside the portal. He doesn’t want to get separate from Cloud. After all -he must admit- he likes being around him.

***

“I also travel, you know,” Cloud says after a while. The portal has led them into a new place; one with floating rocks, grass field, and a river stream split in two. It’s a pretty world, Bartz must admit. They are walking around aimlessly, waiting for another portal to open, exploring the place as they do.

“Really?!” Bartz grins at him.

Cloud nods, settling down on the grass, a sign for them to take a break, and continues. “It’s not like how you travel by a long shot… but, it’s somewhat the same. In my world, I have a delivery business, a very small one. It’s just me and my motorcycle, Fenrir, traveling to different towns, delivery packages to people.”

Bartz hums. “It sounds the same to me.” Then, he tilts his head in confusion. “But, what’s a motorcycle? Is it a pet?”

Cloud smiles and chuckles a little. Of course, there will be cultural differences -if he can call it that- that are bound to come up soon or later. They come from different worlds, after all. “No, it’s a machine with three wheels and moves fast.”

“I think I got it, now. You travel with your motorcycle just like how I travel with Boko.”

“Yes.”

“You named a machine?”

He shrugs. “You grow attached to what you are always with.”

Bartz rubs his arms, looks up at the sky, feeling warm inside. He finds it harder every passing moment to keep his nerves under control around Cloud. “I get what you mean.” He says, softly. It strikes a chord with him; the more he is with Cloud, learning and understanding him, the fonder he feels over Cloud. And he doesn’t know what to do with it. So, he does what he knows best and let it go with the wind as he calms and asks. “So, how was it?” Then, adds in when Cloud looks at him confused. “Your travels, I mean. How was it?”

“It’s really nothing exciting or adventurous like yours, but it’s…pretty relaxing.” Cloud tells Bartz of his travels; the people he meets, the sights he sees, the regulars. It helps him whenever his mind starts to wander to the past, lets him let go for a while and live in the present. When the deliveries are completed, he returns home to his makeshift family. “It always ends with me, knowing that I’m not alone.”

“I’m glad...” Bartz trails off. He starts to think about their situation; how they have whisked far away from their worlds to this strange world so suddenly without any warning. Cloud seems so lighter when he talks about his home and family. And then, the realization hits him as he asks. “Do you feel alone, Cloud?”

Cloud shakes his head. “No... not really.” He pauses, looking at the grass, trying to put his words together. Bartz gives him the time he needs. Then, Cloud looks back at him; his eyes are bright, and he says. “I have you.”

And Bartz can feel himself crashing and falling. He is warm and fuzzy. Just when he thought he had his nerves under control, it gets blown over yet again. He is stuck, unsure of what to do, but he answers him anyway. “Always, we’re stuck together for the meantime, so we have each other.”

“Right…” Cloud nods, his eyes seem to wander off a little bit before he continues. “for the meantime.”

Bartz doesn’t say anything, frowns, _“for the meantime”_ doesn’t sit well with him. Then again, everything right now doesn’t sit well with him.

***

“Does it hurt?” Bartz asks, reaching for Cloud’s left wrist.

They are sitting down in what they believe to be a lunar carter, resting up for a little while before they go back on their quest. They have been lucky so far not to encounter anything that would be considered a threat to them. Well, that’s till they entered this lunar place, and a random manikin appeared out of nowhere and started attacking them. It’s a quick battle; they defeat it with relative ease, yet Cloud gets injured in it.

“No, not really,” Cloud says. “It’s just a scratch.” 

Bartz hums in response, holds up his left wrist, moves the black cloth away, and inspects the injury. It’s like what Cloud says it is; a scratch, the wound barely breaks the skin. A simple cure spell is enough to heal it. He knows Cloud is more than capable of taking care of himself, but Bartz can’t help himself when he is around Cloud. “May I?” He is calm as he looks up at Cloud, waiting for a response.

Cloud nods and relaxes, letting Bartz take care of him.

He changes to the white mage job status, places both of his hands on Cloud’s wrist, and performs the spell. The spell glows as the healing begins and ends as quickly as it started. He changes back to his regular freelancer job status, but he doesn’t let go of Cloud’s wrist. Cloud doesn’t comment about it either.

“Better?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

“Good, I’m glad.” He sighs, slowly removing his hands and moving the black cloth back over his wrist. “Cloud, I was wondering...”

“Yeah?”

“You don’t have to answer me.” He shakes his hands. “I was wondering why you cover your left arm?”

Cloud takes a moment, looks up at the moon, before turning around to face him. “I had this illness called geostigma… a terrible illness.”

Bartz listens to Cloud. The illness that came as repercussions of the lifestream clashing with meteor, wreaking havoc on one’s body. Cloud tells him how it affected a member in his makeshift family, a young boy named Denzel, and how he sets out to find a cure only for him to get affected as well in the long run. He listens to Cloud’s worries, fears, and failures in Cloud’s tale.

“You were dying?” Bartz whispers.

“Yes,” Cloud says, holding Bartz’s gaze. Underneath the moon’s glow, Cloud’s eyes glow and it’s the most gorgeous thing Bartz has ever seen. Cloud sighs and continues. “The cure for it did come, after all, giving us all hope again.”

Bartz is at loss for words and he hates himself for it. Cloud has suffered so much yet he still carries on fighting and living day by day. He remembers those words that Cloud had told him all those days ago about how strong and inspirational he was. If you ask him, Bartz would say that Cloud is the strong and inspirational one. He has been through so much and can still smile through it all. He really wishes that he could have been there for him, wishes that he could take his pain away.

Bartz moves in closer and takes a hold of Cloud’s left hand. He is grateful that Cloud doesn’t push him away, allowing him to continue. He pushes away the black cloth, exposing Cloud’s left arm, sees the pink ribbon wrap around his bicep. He doesn’t ask about it, instead, he caresses and soothes the skin underneath. His fingers gingerly tracing circles on Cloud’s skin as if he was trying to heal him. He feels Cloud relaxing underneath his touch. Bartz begins to wonder when exactly he has ever been so gentle. Leaning down, he places a kiss on his bicep, underneath the pink ribbon.

“I’m sorry.” He says as he let go.

“Don’t be.”

Slowly, Bartz sits back up and looks at Cloud. He has always thought Cloud was beautiful, but now especially under the pale moonlight, Cloud looks radiant. “I’m sorry.” He says again to his face now.

“Don’t be… it’s not your fault.” Cloud repeats and adds, voice as soft as ever.

Bartz gives Cloud a small smile. And Cloud returns that smile with one of his own and thank him. He feels warm and soft inside. Bartz begins to wonder if the way he is feeling right now is love, creeping up on him, softly embracing him.

***

Bartz is quiet now; he is in his thoughts, he is reflecting, he is thinking. He thinks about his feelings for Cloud; how he respects him, how he admires him, how he loves him. And it terrifies him a little because he is not supposed to fall in love. Love is a lot like home to him; it doesn’t fit in the picture of his way of life. He is a wanderer; he goes wherever the wind takes him. There’s simply not enough time in the world for love… especially in a world like this.

This world is as temporary as him, short-lived and brief. It’s the same with his time with Cloud, temporary. He even said so himself; they are stuck together for the meantime. Once they get to Materia, they will figure out their next course of action and hopefully find a way to get back to their respective worlds. Love just doesn’t fit in the picture; there’s no time for it at all.

“Hey, are you okay?” Cloud says, snapping him out of his thoughts. “You’ve been awfully quiet. It’s starting to worry me.”

He waves his hands quickly, laughing awkwardly, doing anything to fight off the surprise and nervousness. “I’m alright, just thinking, that’s all.”

Cloud frowns, moving closer. “It has nothing to do with…”

Bartz shakes his head, understanding the words that Cloud couldn’t say. “No… it’s something else… personal thought.”

“If you want to talk about it… you can talk to me, I’ll listen.”

He knows Cloud will; he always listens, he always helps, but this is something he must figure it out himself. “Thanks, but don’t worry about it. I’ll figure it out.”

Cloud stares at him for a moment and nods. “If you say so… Let’s go then, there’s another portal up ahead.”

Bartz sighs. Love never fits in his way of life yet somehow it finds its way in his heart like how the wind blows him to his next direction. It scares him, yes, but there’s nothing much he can do about it except to accept it, embracing it in return. He does just that, let his love go with the wind, and let the wind guides him as it usually does.

***

For as long as Bartz can remember, the wind has always been a guiding force in his life. He goes wherever the wind goes; the wind always takes him to where’s he meant to be. Even in this strange world, where everything doesn’t make sense to him, the wind still guides him. He wonders if this is where the wind is taking him now, where the wind wants him to be.

“Cloud?” He calls out to him, hesitantly, just before Cloud steps into the portal.

Cloud turns around to face him, puzzled. “Yeah?”

“That offer before. I would like to take you up on it.”

Cloud closes his eyes, exhales, and says. “Sure. We need to take a break anyways.” He walks away from the portal and towards Bartz. When he gets near him, Cloud holds on to his hand. “Follow me.” He adds as he leads him to a place for them to talk. Bartz lets him, liking the way his hand feels in his.

They settle for a spot on the sand near a hut. They are sitting on the detachable part of Cloud’s outfit, which Bartz had protested only for Cloud to remind him that it is easy to clean off. The sun is starting to set.

“You wanted to talk?” Cloud asks.

“Yeah…” This is a lot harder than anything he has ever done. He breathes in and out. He has been able to brave it out and faces his fear to save his world, certainly, he can talk to Cloud about this. “I like you, you know,” Bartz says aloud, testing how it sounds as he gathers his thoughts and his words. He wants to get it right.

Cloud doesn’t respond; he is patient and waits, still listening.

“I like you for a long time ever since I’ve first seen you smile. I’ve never seen you smile before and when I saw you smile, I just wanted to see it again and I… No, that’s not it.” Bartz is a fumbling mess, he knows it. His words are jumbled. His nerves are out of control. He tries to keep calm as possible as he reaches for Cloud’s hand and holds on. He could see Cloud’s eyes widening ever so slightly. “I learned about you, Cloud, who you really are, and I absolutely adore you.”

There’s the longest pause that happens before Cloud speaks. “Bartz…I…” His voice wavers as he turns his hand so his fingers can fit in perfectly in his. He is smiling, he is bright and red, he is gentle. Bartz loves it so much; he can never get enough of Cloud’s smile, doesn’t think he ever will. Such a pretty smile; makes him look beautiful. Cloud looks up at him, certain of his next words. “Can you kiss me?”

Bartz freezes, feeling very warm and fuzzy inside. He stays quiet and it’s quiet between them now. The only sounds they hear are rolling of light waves and the wind rustling through the palm trees. He doesn’t expect a question like that, but it’s Cloud and with him, there’s never enough time to prepare.

In the silence, Cloud speaks again. “Isn’t this how it all started? Asking questions. You want to learn about me some.” Bartz nods and Cloud continues. “Let me learn about you some. I want to know, want to know just how you feel…”

“Right,” Bartz whispers, withdrawing his hand away before placing it on Cloud’s face, and leans in. He stops when he is a couple of centimetres away from his face; lips almost touching, he can see Cloud’s eyes clearly now, bright and blue as the sky with hints of green in it. It’s gorgeous, and he doesn’t mind getting lost in them.

“I get it, now.” Bartz closes his eyes, tilts his head slightly, and presses forward, capturing his lips with his own. He kisses Cloud like a gentle spring breeze; soft, slow, and tender. He takes his time; time is at a standstill, there’s no rushing in this. He is writing a love letter; he is letting his feelings be known. His feelings for Cloud are out in the open; that he cares, that he is with him, that he is home. He removes his hand from Cloud’s face and then wraps his arms around him, pulling Cloud against him as his kisses turn deeper. He feels Cloud bringing his arms around his neck, kissing him back with the same intensity. Kissing Cloud is like returning home, warm and inviting, and it feels nice, it feels safe

Then, they pull away for air. It’s quiet as they catch their breath, not letting go of one another. And after a while, Cloud breaks the silence. “Thank you, Bartz. Perhaps, I should tell you my truth as well.” Cloud reaches and places both of his hands on Bartz’s face before pulling him down to kiss him. It’s a short-lived kiss, small and chaste. “I like you as well.”

Bartz smiles at him as if he has found fortune. The wind has been in his favor once again, leading to where he needs to be. “That makes us lovers, right?”

“Yeah, I guess it does.”

“Great, I’m glad.” He pauses, thinks about the temporariness of their situation. Their time together is limited; any moment can be their last together. Bartz frowns and…

“What’s wrong?” Cloud cuts him off from his thoughts.

“Our time together is temporary.”

“I know,” Cloud says. He leans forward, resting his forehead against his, his hands intertwining with his. “There’s not a lot we can do, but...”

“But?”

“We can love each other as long as we can. We have each other for the meantime.”

“Yeah,” Bartz says. “I like that a lot.” He then leans in and kisses Cloud, crashing into the soft sand with him.

It’s fine for now. The temporariness of their situation, that is. Bartz can keep loving Cloud for as long as he can in this strange world, and he can’t complain about that. They will figure it out when the time comes. For now, it’s fine. For now, he gives it to the wind, letting the wind guide him like it always does. Right now, he’s home and it fits perfectly for the meantime.


End file.
